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Every elite football team wants to maximize their success. Especially in international football, smaller footballing countries need to perform well as underdogs when pursuing qualification to the group stage phase of international tournaments. With limited player options, development of leadership within the team might be one solution to achieve better results. The purpose of this study was to find out team members’ perceptions on what kind of leadership behaviours and leadership structures occur in a men’s football national team participating in the UEFA Euro 2020 and how those are connected to the team’s success. Due to the precise nature of the target sample, we applied a qualitative approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five coaches and two players. The interviews were analysed with a hybrid approach to thematic analysis. The results emphasized the importance of team cohesion between the coaching staff, between players and the whole team. Coaches felt that with a particular investment on the team’s psychological wellbeing they can get the team to overachieve. Coaches’ leadership behaviour was seen as a big part of the team’s success by all the interviewees. The effectiveness of peer leaders amongst the players was explained by their unselfish personalities and small egos and work ethic. Our study suggests that paying more attention and investing to the leadership of coaches and players, team’s chances of success could be increased without player changes. To be able to put these results into practice, a leadership development section could be introduced to coach education programs. nonPeerReviewed

Football fans prefer to see their favourite team win in close matches. Compared to other forms of entertainment, the outcome of sport game is unknown beforehand. Opera audience knows the plot in advance, but in football the winner is revealed only after 90 minutes. The scientific literature of modern sport economics demand theory implies that successful leagues must be based on relatively even competition. This degree of parity within a league is labelled as competitive balance. Sport leagues usually claim that outcome uncertainty is necessary to maintain interest among fans. In this paper, uncertainty of outcome hypothesis is tested applying football data from the highest tier in Finnish men’s football, currently known as Veikkausliiga. We apply modern statistical and econometric time-series methods for data to reveal inference between the chosen variables. The time period covers 1947–2020. Empirical results show that Finnish football attendance is positively related to competitive balance between the rivalling teams. Increased alcohol consumption in the society is not related to football attendance, but we found that the number of games played during the season is positively related to ticket sales. Number of teams in the league seems to be negatively related to attendance. In the future, the football leagues need more relevant information on the fan behaviour and scientific analysis for optimizing the box office revenue. Regarding future research avenues, the time of the year, the condition of the stadium and the ticket pricing could be investigated to see whether there is a correlation with on-site attendance. nonPeerReviewed

The aim of the present study was to examine how team composition of players with different roles constrains individual and collective tactical behaviours, and ball possession effectiveness, during competitive 3 vs 3 small-sided and conditioned games (SSCGs) in youth soccer players. Fifteen male players (under 15 yrs, mean age 13.2 ± 1.03 years, mean years of practice: 4.2 ± 1.10 years) from the same club participated in this study. For analysis purposes, on advice from the coaching staff, participants were categorised according to their main team performance role, resulting in sub-samples of 5 defenders (centre-backs = 2 and full- backs = 3), 7 midfielders (central midfielders = 3 and wide midfielders = 4) and 3 attackers (forwards). In order to assess participant tactical behaviours, a notational analysis system was created with four categories: i) team behaviours, ii) individual players’ offensive actions, iii) individual players’ defensive actions, and iv), ball possession effectiveness. Analysis of players’ offensive actions revealed that the team composed only of midfielders revealed a higher frequency of diagonal and vertical passes in relation to the attackers’ team. In offensive individual actions, the attackers’ team revealed more dribbles in relation to the teams of defenders and midfielders. Analysis of ball possession effectiveness revealed that the team of defenders achieved higher values of shots on goal compared to the team of midfielders. These findings exemplified how playing role constrains the emergence of different collective behaviours and individual actions in 3 vs 3 SSCGs.

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Emotional intelligence is an important variable related to the interaction and functioning of sports teams. The present study examined the relationship between players’ trait emotional intelligence and functional and dysfunctional psychobiosocial states. In particular, we examined the mediating effects of intra-team communication efficacy and role ambiguity in this relationship. The participants were 291 (174 men and 117 women) Italian players involved in various team sports (i.e., futsal, soccer, volleyball, handball, and rugby). They completed a multi-section questionnaire assessing the study variables during the early/middle part of their competitive seasons. Structural equation modeling (SEM) showed trait emotional intelligence to positively predict functional psychobiosocial states and negatively predict dysfunctional psychobiosocial states. Effective intra-team communication mediated the relationship between emotional intelligence and functional states, while role ambiguity was a mediator of the relationship between trait emotional intelligence and dysfunctional states. Overall, the results highlight the importance of examining trait emotional intelligence as an antecedent of players’ psychobiosocial states in applied sport contexts both in terms of team functioning and individual optimal sport experience. peerReviewed

The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of back pain in young basketball and floorball players under 21 years of age. The secondary aim was to examine risk factors especially for low back pain (LBP). Nine basketball and nine floorball teams (n = 396) participated in this prospective follow‐up study (2011‐2014). Young athletes (mean age 15.8 ± 1.9) performed physical tests and completed a questionnaire at baseline. The follow‐up lasted 1‐3 years per player. During the follow‐up, back pain reported by the players was registered on a weekly basis and verified by a study physician. The exposure time (AE) on team practices and games was recorded by the coach. Altogether back pain was reported 61 times by 51 players. The incidence of back pain was 87 per 1000 athlete‐years and 0.4 per 1000 hours of AE. Hamstrings, quadriceps and iliopsoas extensibility and general joint hypermobility were not associated with LBP. Furthermore, no association between LBP and leg extension strength or isometric hip abduction strength asymmetry was found in these young basketball and floorball players. In conclusion, back pain can lead to a considerable time‐loss from training and competition among young basketball and floorball players and the pain tends to reoccur. Lower extremity muscle extensibility, general joint hypermobility or investigated lower extremity strength measures were not associated with the risk of LBP. peerReviewed

Jääkiekko on kasvanut viime vuosikymmenien aikana Suomen seuratuimmaksi urheilulajiksi, ja lajiin on onnistuttu myös rakentamaan maan ainoa täysammattilainen liiga. Lajin suosion nousuun on vaikuttanut niin toimintaympäristössä kuin urheilun seuraamisessa tapahtuneet muutokset. Kansainvälisen menestyksen myötä yleisön kiinnostus jääkiekkoa kohtaan on kasvanut ja jääkiekko-otteluista on muiden urheilutapahtumien ohella tullut viihteellisiä kulutushyödykkeitä. Jääkiekkoyleisöä on tutkittu suhteellisen vähän huolimatta lajin suuresta suosiosta, joten yleisötutkimuksen tekeminen lajin parissa on perusteltua. Helsingin Jokerit on pitkät perinteet omaava jääkiekkoseura, joka kohahdutti suomalaista kiekkoyleisöä siirtymällä Suomen Liigasta monikansalliseen KHL:ään kaudeksi 2014–2015. Samaan aikaan miltei puolet Jokereiden omistuksesta ja seuran kotiareena myytiin venäläissuomalaisille liikemiehille. Tässä tutkimuksessa selvitetään Jokereiden kotiyleisön sosiodemografiaa sekä mielipiteitä kotiottelutapahtumien osa-alueista ja joukkueen siirtymisestä Suomen Liigasta KHL:ään. Kyseessä on kvantitatiivinen survey-tutkimus. Tutkimusotos koostuu Jokereiden kaudella 2017–2018 KHL-liigan runkosarjan kotiotteluissa käyneistä katsojista. Tutkimusaineisto (N=1657) kerättiin sähköisellä kyselylomakkeella, jonka suunnittelussa hyödynnettiin aiempia urheilun yleisötutkimuksia. Tulosten mukaan Jokereiden kotiotteluyleisö koostui 80 prosenttisesti miehistä. 77 prosenttia asui pääkaupunkiseudulla ja miltei puolella (49 %) oli korkeakoulututkinto. Ikäjakauma oli hyvin tasainen ikävuosien 19–65 välillä. Vain kaksi prosenttia vastaajista oli nuorempia ja neljä prosenttia vanhempia. Kotiyleisölle ottelutapahtumissa viihtymisen kannalta tärkeimpiä osa-alueita olivat hyvä tasoinen ottelu ja ottelutapahtuman kokonaistunnelma, joiden perässä Jokereiden voitto. Kaikkiin kotiotteluiden osa-alueisiin oltiin keskimääräisesti tyytyväisiä. Kotiyleisö arvioi ottelutapahtuman kehittyneen liigan vaihdon myötä parempaan suuntaan. Kotiyleisöstä 70 prosenttia piti joukkueen siirtymistä Suomen Liigasta KHL:ään hyvänä (46 %) tai erittäin hyvänä (24 %) asiana. Yhdeksän prosenttia koki siirtymisen huonona (7 %) tai erittäin huonona (2 %) asiana. Loput 21 prosenttia suhtautuivat siirtoon neutraalisti. Kotiyleisöstä 40 prosenttia toivoi Jokereiden pysymistä KHL:ssä, neljännes (25 %) toivoi paluuta Suomen Liigaan, 15 prosenttia koki asian yhdentekevänä ja noin viidennes (21 %) ei osannut sanoa. Tutkimus antaa tärkeää tietoa suomalaisesta jääkiekkoyleisöstä sekä Jokereiden kotiyleisön suhtautumisesta joukkueen läpikäymiin muutoksiin. Ice hockey is the most followed sport in Finland and men’s highest league in ice hockey (Liiga) is the only sports league, which can be considered a fully professional league in Finland. The rise in popularity of ice hockey has been influenced by changes in the environment and in the sports culture. As a result of international success, the public's interest in ice hockey has increased in Finland, and hockey matches have become entertainment consumer goods alongside other sporting events. Despite the high popularity of ice hockey, the audience of ice hockey has been studied relatively little, which justifies conducting research on the topic. In 2013 one of the league’s most renowned franchises, Jokerit from Helsinki, sold its home arena and approximately half of the team’s share capital to Finnish-Russian businessmen. This was followed by a move from the Finnish league to a Russian-led multinational Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), starting from 2014–2015 season. The purpose of this study is to find out Jokerit home audiences’ sociodemographic profile, viewpoints about home game events and viewpoints about the team’s move to KHL. The research method used in this study was a quantitative survey. Data (N=1657) was collected during 2017–2018 season with an electronic questionnaire that was designed using previous sports audience surveys. According to the results, 80 % of the respondents were men, 77 % lived in the Helsinki metropolitan area and 49 % had a university degree. The age breakdown was evenly distributed between ages 19–65. Only 2 % were younger and 4% older than that. Respondents perceived high quality game and the overall atmosphere as the most important factors determining the perceived level of entertainment for a game, followed by Jokerit’s win. Overall, the different aspects of the event were evaluated positively, and the home audience felt that the change in the league had improved the home events of Jokerit. 70 % of the home audience considered the move to KHL as a good (46 %) or as a very good thing (24 %). 9 % considered it was a bad (7 %) or as a very bad (2 %) thing. Remaining 21 % of the home audience were neutral. Additionally, 40 % of home audience hoped that Jokerit remains in KHL, whereas 25 % hoped that they would return to the Finnish league. 15 % found the league issue unimportant and 21 % could not say. The research provides important information about the Finnish ice hockey audience and about the attitudes of Jokerit’s home audience.

Havia Tuire, 2017. How coaches establish trust in team sports? A qualitative research on coaching leadership. Master’s Thesis in Sport and Exercise Psychology. Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences. University of Jyväskylä. 70p. There has been a significant amount of research dedicated to understanding the interpersonal relationships in sports from various viewpoints. The current literature identifies the concept of trust and knowing the individuals within team crucial in coaching context. However, there is very limited research on how to foster trust in teams in elite level coaching context, especially in Finland topic is poorly covered. Hence, this study aimed to describe the coaching philosophies and the specific methods used to establish trust in coach-athlete relationship and within team environment of four coaches (1 female, 3 male) in elite level sports in Finland (floorball=1, football=1, ice hockey=1 and ringette=1). The data was collected using a semi-structured interview as the data collection method. Coaching experience of participants ranged from 20 to 45 years. An interpretative thematic analysis with both inductive and deductive reasoning was utilized in the analysis of the data. The data was transcribed and further coded through Atlas.ti software, (version 7.1). The results revealed a comprehensive picture of the factors that describe trust in the whole sport team and the organisation, and which can be linked together under an umbrella of trustful environment. The coaches agreed that the true core of trust is captured in every day coaching actions by supporting individuals, on and off the field, and getting to know them as individuals, as well as involving them in different ways and encouraging them to see mistakes as a part of learning process. In conclusion, this study provided new information regarding practical methods and principles about how to establish trust in coach-athlete relationship and within teams. The findings may be beneficial in coaching education, in teams and on a broader perspective also within individual level of sports. The findings support similar previous research and thus speaks to the worthy pursuit of establishing trust in teams which in turn may benefit not only individual wellbeing and motivation but also team performance outcomes.

The aim of this study was to examine Liikunnan Riemu’s football team’s changes in cohesion during European Universities Sports Association Games in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The basis for this study was to quantitatively examine cohesion using Carron’s and his colleagues (1985) developed Group Environmental Questionnaire for sport teams. The GEQ is divided into four dimensions which describe cohesion more accurately. High cohesion has been shown to lead to success in sports and vice versa (Carron et al. 2002; Rovio 2009; Voight & Callaghan 2001). The participants were students from University of Jyväskylä, mostly from the department of Sport Science. Altogether 26 answers were collected. The team consisted of players, coach, masseuse and supporters. Students were from years from one to six. All the participants who took part in the study were Finnish. The team’s cohesion was measured in two occasions. Initial measurement took place on the airplane on the way from Helsinki to Amsterdam. Second and final measurement was also performed on the plane but on the way back to Helsinki. Answers were collected by the researcher and means were analyzed in this study using SPSS Statistics program. The results indicate positive change in cohesion in almost all cases. Notable was the differences between changes of members with less time spent in the team and members with more time spent in the team. Overall members who had spent less time in the team faced more improvement in cohesion during the tournament. With the results of this study it can be claimed that a ten days trip to play football is good for team’s cohesion. After the tournament members of the team feel more clinginess and togetherness than before the tournament in both social and task perspective. Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli tutkia Liikunnan Riemun jalkapallojoukkueen koheesion muutoksia European Universities Sports Association Games:ien aikana Rotterdamissa, Hollannissa. Tutkielma pohjautuu kvantitatiiviseen tutkimukseen, jossa käytettään Carronin ja hänen kollegoidensa (1985) kehittämää Group Environmental Questionnairea, suomeksi ryhmäilmipiiri mittaria, urheilujoukkueille. Ryhmäilmapiiri kyselylomake on jaettu neljään eri osa-alueeseen, jotka kuvaavat tarkemmin koheesiota. Korkean koheesion on todettu johdattavan menetykseen urheilussa ja päinvastoin (Carron et al. 2002; Rovio 2009; Voight & Callaghan 2001). Tutkimukseen osallistuneet ovat Jyväskylän yliopiston opiskelijoita, joista suurin osa Liikuntatieteiden laitokselta. Yhteensä 26 vastausta saatiin kerättyä. Joukkue koostuu pelaajista, valmentajasta, huoltajasta ja kannattajista. Jäsenet ovat vuosikursseilta ensimmäisestä kuudenteen. Kaikki tutkimukseen osallistuneet olivat suomalaisia. Joukkueen koheesioita mitattiin kahdessa otteessa. Ensimmäinen mittaus tapahtui lentokoneessa matkalla Helsingistä Amsterdamiin. Toinen ja viimeinen mittaus suoritettiin yhtä lailla lentokoneessa, mutta tällä kertaa matkalla toiseen suuntaan. Vastaukset kerättiin tutkijan toimesta ja keskiarvoja analysoitiin käyttämällä SPSS Statistics – ohjelmaa. Saadut tulokset pääasiassa viittaavat positiiviseen muutokseen koheesiossa. Huomattavaa ovat erot muutoksissa jäsenten välillä, jotka ovat viettäneet vähemmän aikaa joukkueessa ja enemmän aikaa joukkueessa. Kokonaistuloksissa jäsenet, jotka olivat viettäneet vähemmän aikaa joukkueen kanssa, kohtasivat enemmän kehitystä koheesiossa turnauksen aikana. Tutkimuksen tulosten avulla voidaan sanoa, että kymmenen päivän jalkapalloturnausmatka on hyväksi joukkueen koheesiolle. Turnauksen jälkeen joukkueen jäsenet tuntevat olonsa yhtenäisemmäksi ja kiintyneemmäksi, sekä sosiaalisesta että tehtävä orientoituneesti, kuin ennen turnausta.